Brigadier General Edward Griffin Beckwith

  Noted events in his life were:

• Biography: From Our County and it's people, 1890, Madison, New York. Beckwith, Brevet Brigadier General Edward Griffin, son of Judge Barack Beckwith, and Polly (Kennedy) Beckwith, his wife, was born in Cazenovia, January 25, 1818. His father came into Cazenovia in 1803, bringing his own family and also his father, Rev. Roswell Beckwith, a Presbyterian minister, who afterwards affiliated with the Baptists. Roswell was a son of Elisha, who was killed at the battle of White Plains, whereupon his four sons immediately enlisted, including the minister, an uncommon procedure.

Judge Barack Beckwith took up a farm on the lake which is the only one adjoining the lake still owned in the name of the original settler. He became a man of prominence in this region, representing the district in the State Legislature and holding various local positions of public trust; he died in the prime of life, in 1844.

General Beckwith obtained his preliminary education at Cazenovia Seminary and entering West Point in 1838, was graduated with the class of 1842. He was assigned to the 3d Artillery, a regiment which was offiicered by many men who during the civil war, became conspicuous on both the Federal and Confederate sides. He served throughout the Mexican war; in 1849 commanded the escort to the first governor of California, and in 1853 was appointed to succeed Captain Gunnison, who had been killed by the indians, as commander of the survey of the Union Pacific railroad. During the civil war he served as chief commissary on the staffs of Generals Patterson, Pope and Banks and was three times breveted for meritorious services. After the close of the war he was brought to Washington to settle the claims held against the commissary department throughout the country. His record of fidelity and ability in the accomplishment of this arduous task is too well known to need comment. He was retired upon his own application in 1879 and died in Washington in 1881, in the sixty third year of his age. General Beckwith married in June, 1850, Cornelia Williamson, daughter of John P. Williamson of Savannah, Georgia. Two children were born to them: Madeline Beckwith and Nellie Beckwith.

FROM:
Our County and it's people
A Descriptive and Biographical Record of
Madison County, New York
Edited by: John E. Smith
The Boston History Co., Publishers 1899

• Cemetery: From Find a Grave, Jun 1881, Arlington, Virginia. Edward Griffin Beckwith

Birth: Jun. 25, 1818
Death: Jun. 22, 1881

Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. He was born in Cazenovia, New York. He graduated 13th in the West Point class of 1842. He fought in the Mexican War at Tampico and Vera Cruz and was involved in exploration of the western United States in 1853 to 1854 for the first transcontinental railroad. This was known as the 38th Parallel Pacific Railroad Survey. He was responsible for important maps that were drawn during this journey, also drawn were never before seen illustrations of the western United States. He played an important role in providing a corridor through the West. He became known as the "Explorer of the Central Rockies." Later he served as Chief of Commissary of the 5th Army Corps in the Union army. In this position, he was in charge of supplying General Nathaniel Banks's Louisiana expedition. He was Provost Marshall General of the Department of the Gulf in 1863. Was in command of the defences of New Orleans from August 25, 1863, through January 12, 1864. He also served in the beginning of his command as Chief Commissary of the department until a new chief could arrive. He received the rank of Brevet Brigadier General in 1865 for faithful and meritorious services during the war. In postwar years he was on duty in the Subsistence Department. He would later retire to his native New York, dying in Clifton. (bio by: Ugaalltheway)

Family links:
Spouse:
Cornelia Beckwith (1828 - 1911)

Children:
Madeline Julia Beckwith (1852 - 1935)

Burial:
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington
Arlington County
Virginia, USA
Plot: Section 3, Grave 1922
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Nov 21, 2001
Find A Grave Memorial# 5988355

Edward married Cornilia Williamson, daughter of John Pistel and Madeline Williamson, in Jun 1850. (Cornilia Williamson was born in 1828 in Savannah, Georgia and died on 22 Aug 1911 in Cazenovia, Madison, New York.)